At "WOMAN EXPO TOKYO 2017," an event for working women to shine in their own way, a "Fertility Seminar for Working Women" was held. The first part was a "Fertility Seminar" by Dr. Hiromi Yoshikata, an obstetrician and gynecologist who is active on the front lines and highly trusted by working women. In the second part, beauty model Maya Tanaka appeared and participated in a panel discussion on the theme of "fertility." Approximately 200 people participated on the day, listening attentively to information about fertility and childbirth, as well as many valuable stories that they wouldn't normally hear.
Part 1: "Fertility Treatment Seminar"
For women who wish to become pregnant.
Essential Knowledge about "Fertility Treatment"
In the first part, the "Fertility Seminar," obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Hiromi Yoshikata shared insights into the lesser-known realities of reproductive medicine and provided helpful information for those trying to conceive.
Hiromi Yoshikata
She works at the Women's Health Clinic at Yokohama City University Hospital. She is a certified specialist in women's healthcare by the Japan Society for Women's Medicine, among other qualifications. Her motto is to provide medical care while considering "what makes the patient happy." She is also a working mother of three children. Her main publications and supervised books include "Because It's Menopause - Oh, So That's What It Was? This Ailment" (Shufunotomo Co., Ltd.), "Raising a Girl for the First Time: Ages 0-6" (Natsume Publishing Co., Ltd.), and "Textbook of Female Hormones" (Nikkei BP Inc.).
The little-known realities of reproductive medicine
Understanding what makes a body more fertile can be gained by understanding what makes it difficult. For example, in Japan, it is said that one in six couples struggles with infertility, and currently, the rate of babies born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) is increasing, at one in 24. Compared to other countries, Japan has one of the highest rates of IVF procedures performed worldwide. However, the number of cases that result in live births is very low. The reasons for this include the following:
① In Japan, the age at which infertility treatment and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are started is late. ② The patient's own eggs are used instead of donor eggs. In other words, IVF is being performed with older eggs. ③ Single embryo transfer, where only one fertilized egg is transferred, is employed.
Furthermore, discussions on egg donation have not progressed in Japan, and legal frameworks are lagging behind. In many countries and regions around the world, egg donation is commonplace, and recently, there has been an increase in Japanese couples receiving egg donations overseas.
What is "the ability to conceive," or fertility...?
We medical professionals refer to the "ability to conceive" as fertility. Couples who wish to conceive practice "timing," which involves having sexual intercourse during the period leading up to the woman's ovulation when conception is most likely. Ideally, this means having intercourse every day, starting about five days before ovulation. The reason for this is that while an egg only survives for about one day after ovulation, strong and healthy sperm can survive for about five days. Therefore, the chances of conception increase if sperm are waiting in the fallopian tube for the egg to be released during ovulation.
If pregnancy does not occur after four attempts at "timing," it is considered outside the normal probability range. This probability also changes with age; it is around 5% for those aged 20-24, but rises to approximately 65% for those in their 40s. In Japan, infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of "timing."
The causes include ovulation disorders, blocked fallopian tubes, egg aging, and sperm problems, but among these, "egg aging" is the biggest problem facing infertility treatment in Japan. As women get older, the number of cases where pregnancy does not result in a live birth also increases, and the live birth rate and miscarriage rate switch places around the age of 37 or 38, with the miscarriage rate exceeding the live birth rate in the 40s.
The woman, Inside the jewelry box to
Born carrying an egg
A woman actually has the most eggs while in her mother's womb, and when she is born as a baby, she already has a large number of eggs. Imagine a woman being born with a treasure chest full of eggs. However, about 30 eggs are lost every day. In addition, the eggs in the treasure chest include deteriorated eggs that do not lead to pregnancy, and the proportion of these deteriorated eggs increases with age. Some eggs are also damaged by smoking, malnutrition, and radiation, so whether or not a woman becomes pregnant depends on which egg is released during ovulation.
Furthermore, approximately half of infertility cases are due to male factors, meaning infertility is not solely a woman's problem. In cases of male infertility, such as those caused by sperm abnormalities, it is important to be aware of the issue early, so we recommend consulting a urologist or a male infertility specialist.
Life stages Varies depending on
female hormones
Female hormones increase rapidly during puberty, remain abundant and stable from the 20s to the early 30s, but gradually become unstable from the late 30s onward, and then decline sharply between the ages of 45 and 55. During this time, women experience menopause, and the ovaries reach the end of their lifespan.
These changes in female hormones are linked to a person's life stage. It's important to understand which life stage you are currently in and to manage your hormones effectively.
The most important thing for conceiving a baby is to be healthy in both mind and body. Focus on exercise, a balanced diet, quality sleep, and a stress-free lifestyle, and practice effective self-care while trying to conceive.